Posted on 11/07/2006 12:15:26 AM PST by Antioch
Nine year-old Tyler Stoken, a student in the Aberdeen Public School District, didn't know how to answer an essay question on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning test. As punishment for leaving the question blank his principal suspended him for five days.
Tyler paraphrases the question saying, "You look out one day at school and see your principal flying by a window. In several paragraphs write what happens next." He's asked, "So why didn't you answer that question?" He says, "I couldn't think of what to write the essay without making fun of the principal."
He refused to answer the question even after his mother was called to the school. Tyler's mother Amy Wolfe says, "And he said he didn't know the answer. He just didn't know what to write. And they were telling me to make him answer the question."
He still didn't, so Tyler was given a 5-day suspension. In the letter that went home to mother, the principal writes, "The fact that Tyler chose to simply refuse to work on the WASL after many reasonable requests is none other than blatant defiance and insubordination." Shortly after receiving the suspension letter they received a phone call from Superintendent Marty Kay apologizing for the suspension.
"Because I think a mistake was made and over reacting to Tyler's refusal to complete the test," said Aberdeen school superintendent Marty Kay. ... The superintendent wants Tyler immediately re-instated at school. But Tyler’s mother says the damage has been done. Mom tells son, "Well, nobody will scream at you again. I promise you that." Tyler doesn't want to go to that school any more and you can't blame him. He was manipulated and then punished because he couldn't answer a test question.
WASL opponents also believe the principal and teachers broke the law by interfering with the WASL test. It had better have been a violation of the testing rules. If a teacher and principal browbeating a test taker into answering a question in any particular manner is not against the rules then the test is worse than useless.
Answer: Homeschool.
I want to see him in chains and a monitoring device attached to his ankle. Have his Cheerios checked for toys, too.
What kind of control freak does his school have as a principal? Probably a Democrat and active NEA member.
Said witch needs some remedial lessons too: State regulations show there is no averaging of the writing scores. Each student either meets or fails the state standard.
"You look out one day at school and see your principal flying by a window"
"He's asked, "So why didn't you answer that question?" "
That's not a question!
I'm sorry am I missing something? This kid sounds like brat who wouldn't do his work. While the school should have just failed him on the test (calling the mom was bizarre) I'm not really feeling sorry for this punk who wasn't smart enough to make up some stupid crap up to get though the test. And as a mother of a third grader and seventh grader I am sick of these parents who are not teaching there kids respect and yes even sometimes when you know its stupid.
I disagree. That is what it seems that most people on Free Republic think will solve the problem. My view is that if we continue to let the vast majority of the students spend the majority of their time in such an environment, we will end up with a Nation full of brainwashed, violent masses that will be the undoing of us all. Somehow, we need a huge grassroots effort to change the system, so that we are teaching moral, decent children to be moral decent adults. Mark my words, there is anarchy and horror in our future, because of the people born and raised in the US.
Seems the crybaby is running the school and the adult is taking the tests.
Ok, Mr. Deeds. We'll see if we can get the NEA to up your pension.
Oooo you're so cool and hardcore! I wish I could be like you! lol!
"He's asked, "So why didn't you answer that question?"
That's not a question!
Exactly. And what kind of a question was being hinted at anyways. "You look out one day (while?) at school and see your principal flying by a window"? The supposed question is so esoteric that that the kid's following silence itself would honestly highlight/match the question's absudist premise.
"I disagree. That is what it seems that most people on Free Republic think will solve the problem."
And there are even more gullible and moronic people that think that if they get some bible class in their high school that they'll be all set.
IMO, it's useless with or without coercion. That question he refused to answer was a psychological test. Since when are children who are not showing signs of emotional disturbance subjected to that kind of test?
>>WASL opponents also believe the principal and teachers broke the law by interfering with the WASL test. <<
So what's WASL? Whining as second language?
And you need to learn to recognize sarcasm when it slaps you in the face.
Well to some degree his mother is dramatizing this. In other articles she saysTyler, "hasn't been the same since. He liked the principal before this,'' she says. ``He cried. He didn't understand why she'd done this to him. Now, Tyler blows up at the drop of a hat. They created a monster. He'll never take that test again, even if I have to take him to another state,''
The mother is displaying some real barf-o-rama victimization there. Children should be taught to respect adults, but a five day suspension, especially when the principal is mistaken abut the consequences, is just wrong. Postscript: The district superintendant reinstated Tyler.
Yes I think you are, consider this
He says, "I couldn't think of what to write the essay without making fun of the principal."
A bright child might consider that an unusual setup (like a principal flying by a window) might be exactly that, a setup, to elicit something that could be used against the child. Many children are bright enough to know when to shut up.
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